To describe the X-Factor as "light entertainment" feels like such a misnomer these days.

There's nothing light about it, from the bombastic opening strains of O Fortuna, to the knock-down catfights between the judges, to Dermot O'Leary constantly reminding me that the fate of several people I normally couldn't care less about depends entirely on me and my ability to correctly place a telephone vote. That's not light entertainment. That's gruelling, laborious, high-impact entertainment. And it exhausts me.

Which is why I was so glad to see the return of the infinitely superior American Idol last night on ITV2, because it requires no contribution from me. As a non-native viewer, I am totally denied the opportunity to shape anyone's future, and I couldn't be happier about it. Each week, once the obligatory "hilarious" audition shows are out of the way, the performance show airs in the US on a Tuesday, with the nation voting overnight, and the results air on the Wednesday. By the time it airs here on a Friday, the decision's already been made, and somebody's dreams of stardom came to nothing before the UK even got to see them sing.

This makes the show a much more pleasant viewing experience, because I know from the outset that my role in this show is as a passive, if enthusiastic, supporter. I can just relax and let it carry me along. There will be times when I'll be inevitably be disappointed by the outcome of the vote, but I can always sleep soundly in the knowledge that there was nothing I could've done to change it - and nobody charged me 25p per call under the pretence that I could.

I don't have to worry about the ultimate result either. Since Kelly Clarkson remains the only AI alumnus to have broken the UK market, if I don't like the eventual winner, I won't have to worry about them clogging up the charts for months on end, or being there to infuriate me every time I switch on the radio. And if I do like them, I can just pop onto the internet and get a copy of their album shipped over. It's win-win.

Not being able to vote prevents me from getting caught up in the competitive side of things, and allows me to enjoy the show for what it was always meant to be: entertainment. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for interactivity, but it does my stress levels the world of good to know that occasionally nobody cares about my opinion.